Software utilization privilege brokering in a networked computing environment

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a subscription service for documenting, verifying, administering, and auditing use of entitled software products in third-party networked computing environments (e.g., a cloud computing environment). Specifically, aspects of the invention provide an Entitlement Brokering System (EBS) (also referred to as an entitlement broker) that reduces the risk associated with clients improperly running licensed software products on their computing infrastructure, thus increasing the reliability and auditability of the software product's entitlement status and accelerating intake of new or existing clients through automation of the entitlement verification process.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for managing software entitlements in a networked cloud computing environment, comprising:
 receiving a first registration request from a first requester on an entitlement broker for registering a first software product; 
 receiving a first deployment request from the first requester on the entitlement broker to deploy the first software product in the networked cloud computing environment on a first cloud infrastructure provided by a first cloud provider; 
 verifying, on the entitlement broker, a first entitlement of the first requester to deploy the first software product in the networked cloud computing environment, the verifying comprising: 
 sending a first verification request from the entitlement broker to a first software product owner, and receiving a first response at the entitlement broker from the first software product owner; 
 deploying the first software product on the first cloud infrastructure in the networked cloud computing environment via the entitlement broker if the first entitlement is verified; 
 auditing, via the entitlement broker, the first entitlement to the deployed first software product; 
 receiving a second registration request from a second requester on the entitlement broker for registering a second software product; 
 receiving a second deployment request from a second requester on the entitlement broker to deploy the second software product in the networked cloud computing environment on a second cloud infrastructure provided by a second cloud provider; 
 verifying on the entitlement broker, a second entitlement of the second requester to deploy the second software product in the networked cloud computing environment, the verifying comprising: 
 sending a second verification request from the entitlement broker to a second software product owner, and receiving a second response at the entitlement broker from the second software product owner; 
 deploying the second software product on the second cloud infrastructure in the networked cloud computing environment via the entitlement broker if the second entitlement is verified; and auditing, via the entitlement broker, the second entitlement to the deployed second software product; 
 wherein the entitlement broker is a separate entity from the first requester and the second requester; and 
 wherein the cloud computing environment comprises a shared pool of configurable computing resources, which can be dynamically provisioned and released based on demand, and dynamically assigned and reassigned according to the demand. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , the first response being based on a first software license associated with the first software product, and the second response being based on a second software license associated with the second software product. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , the first response being based on a first service level agreement between the first requester and the first owner of the first software product, and the second response being based on a second service level agreement between the second requester and the second owner of the second software product. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , the auditing being based on at least one time frame. 
     
     
       5. A system for managing software entitlements in a
 networked cloud computing environment, comprising: a bus; 
 a processor coupled to the bus; and 
 a memory medium coupled to the bus, the memory medium comprising instructions to: 
 receive a first registration request from a first requester on an entitlement broker for registering a first software product; 
 receive a first deployment request from the first requester on the entitlement broker to deploy the first software product in the networked cloud computing environment on a first cloud infrastructure provided by a first cloud provider; 
 verify, on the entitlement broker, a first entitlement of the first requester to deploy the first software product in the networked cloud computing environment, the verifying comprising: 
 send a first verification request from the entitlement broker to a first software product owner, and receive a first response at the entitlement broker from the first software product owner; 
 deploy the first software product on the first cloud infrastructure in the networked cloud computing environment via the entitlement broker if the first entitlement is verified; 
 audit, via the entitlement broker, the first entitlement to the deployed first software product; 
 receive a second registration request from a second requester on the entitlement broker for registering a second software product; 
 receive a second deployment request from a second requester on the entitlement broker to deploy the second software product in the networked cloud computing environment on a second cloud infrastructure provided by a second cloud provider; 
 verify on the entitlement broker, a second entitlement of the second requester to deploy the second software product in the networked cloud computing environment, the verifying comprising: 
 send a second verification request from the entitlement broker to a second software product owner, and receive a second response at the entitlement broker from the second software product owner; 
 deploy the second software product on the second cloud infrastructure in the networked cloud computing environment via the entitlement broker if the second entitlement is verified; and 
 audit, via the entitlement broker, the second entitlement to the deployed second software product; 
 wherein the entitlement broker is a separate entity from the first requester and the second requester; and 
 wherein the networked cloud computing environment comprises a shared pool of configurable computing resources, which can be dynamically provisioned and released based on demand, and dynamically assigned and reassigned according to the demand. 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , the first response being based on a first software license associated with the first software product, and the second response being based on a second software license associated with the second software product. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 5 , the first response being based on a first service level agreement between the first requester and the first owner of the first software product, and the second response being based on a second service level agreement between the second requester and the second owner of the second software product. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 5 , the auditing being based on at least one time frame. 
     
     
       9. A computer program product for managing software entitlements in a networked cloud computing environment, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage device, to:
 receive a first registration request from a first requester on an entitlement broker for registering a first software product; 
 receive a first deployment request from the first requester on the entitlement broker to deploy the first software product in the networked cloud computing environment on a first cloud infrastructure provided by a first cloud provider; 
 verify, on the entitlement broker, a first entitlement of the first requester to deploy the first software product in the networked cloud computing environment, the verifying comprising: 
 send a first verification request from the entitlement broker to a first software product owner, and receive a first response at the entitlement broker from the first software product owner; 
 deploy the first software product on the first cloud infrastructure in the networked cloud computing environment via the entitlement broker if the first entitlement is verified; 
 audit, via the entitlement broker, the first entitlement to the deployed first software product; 
 receive a second registration request from a second requester on the entitlement broker for registering a second software product; 
 receive a second deployment request from a second requester on the entitlement broker to deploy the second software product in the networked cloud computing environment on a second cloud infrastructure provided by a second cloud provider; 
 verify on the entitlement broker, a second entitlement of the second requester to deploy the second software product in the networked cloud computing environment, the verifying comprising: 
 send a second verification request from the entitlement broker to a second software product owner, and receive a second response at the entitlement broker from the second software product owner; 
 deploy the second software product on the second cloud infrastructure in the networked cloud computing environment via the entitlement broker if the second entitlement is verified; 
 audit, via the entitlement broker, the second entitlement to the deployed second software product; 
 wherein the entitlement broker is a separate entity from the first requester and the second requester; and 
 wherein the networked cloud computing environment comprises a shared pool of configurable computing resources, which can be dynamically provisioned and released based on demand, and dynamically assigned and reassigned according to the demand. 
 
     
     
       10. The computer program product of  claim 9 , the first response being based on a first software license associated with the first software product, and the second response being based on a second software license associated with the second software product. 
     
     
       11. The computer program product of  claim 9 , the first response being based on a first service level agreement between the first requester and the first owner of the first software product, and the second response being based on a second service level agreement between the second requester and the second owner of the second software product. 
     
     
       12. The computer program product of  claim 9 , the auditing being based on at least one time frame. 
     
     
       13. A method for deploying a system for managing software entitlements in a networked cloud computing environment, comprising:
 providing a computer infrastructure being operable to: 
 receive a first registration request from a first requester on an entitlement broker for registering a first software product; 
 receive a first deployment request from the first requester on the entitlement broker to deploy the first software product in the networked cloud computing environment on a first cloud infrastructure provided by a first cloud provider; 
 verify, on the entitlement broker, a first entitlement of the first requester to deploy the first software product in the networked cloud computing environment, the verifying comprising: 
 send a first verification request from the entitlement broker to a first software product owner, and receive a first response at the entitlement broker from the first software product owner; 
 deploy the first software product on the first cloud infrastructure in the networked cloud computing environment via the entitlement broker if the first entitlement is verified; 
 audit, via the entitlement broker, the first entitlement to the deployed first software product; 
 receive a second registration request from a second requester on the entitlement broker for registering a second software product; 
 receive a second deployment request from a second requester on the entitlement broker to deploy the second software product in the networked cloud computing environment on a second cloud infrastructure provided by a second cloud provider; 
 verify on the entitlement broker, a second entitlement of the second requester to deploy the second software product in the networked cloud computing environment, the verifying comprising: 
 send a second verification request from the entitlement broker to a second software product owner, and receive a second response at the entitlement broker from the second software product owner; 
 deploy the second software product on the second cloud infrastructure in the networked cloud computing environment via the entitlement broker if the second entitlement is verified; and 
 audit, via the entitlement broker, the second entitlement to the deployed second software product; 
 wherein the entitlement broker is a separate entity from the first requester and the second requester; and 
 wherein the networked cloud computing environment comprises a shared pool of configurable computing resources, which can be dynamically provisioned and released based on demand, and dynamically assigned and reassigned according to the demand.